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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — tied together
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. pass — a permit
  10. file — a document
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. rash — hasty
  13. cap — a hat
  14. file — a line of people
  15. lie — to recline
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rash — a series
  19. file — a tool
  20. bound — obliged
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a lid
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com